Ruben Fleischer To Helm Secretive Sci-Fi Project For Sony

Back in 2009, director Ruben Fleischer made a smashing debut with his first feature Zombieland. The clever and kooky horror-comedy was roundly praised by critics and scored with audiences too, making an impressive $102 million worldwide. Then came the disappointing 30 Minutes or Less, which got snarled in controversy over its comedic depiction of a real-life catastrophe, earned critics'' scorn, and made only $40 mil worldwide. Fleischer attempted to rebound in style with the flashy crime drama Gangster Squad. But after the Aurora tragedy, the ultra-violent film that included a movie theater massacre sequence got bumped to January and recut. Ultimately, it has been his worst reviewed movie to date. Plus, the $60 mil pic disappointed domestically, earning only $46 million, though it made $56 mil internationally.

This would seem to suggest Fleischer is floundering, but The Wrap reports Sony is giving him another shot to shoot some stars. The studio that distributed Fleischer's first two features has signed him to helm and produce an untitled sci-fi/fantasy flick. The unnamed project was pitched to Sony by Fleischer, and the studio has since hired emerging screenwriter Eric Pearson to draft its script. Notably, Pearson's name has been attached to two scripts that recently hit the Black List. One was a rom-com called Perfect Match, the other was a drama titled Out of State. Neither is reportedly in development, but their buzz is clearly earning Pearson some sweet gigs.

At this point, the plot of this sci-fi/fantasy movie is being kept under wraps. So it's tricky to speculate on its prospects, aside from acknowledging Fleischer's track record so far has been pretty terrible. But remarkably, this is not the only project the hit-or-miss director has got brewing. Earlier this year, Warner Bros (who distributed Gangster Squad) attached Fleischer to the adaptation of the 1980s videogame SpyHunter. So, clearly Fleischer's got fans in high places.